Wire are one of those bands where (in the begining or their career) everything they touched turned to gold. Their first three LPs might very well be the best sequential trio of albums released in history. I personally love Pink Flag, but I'm having trouble finding it (I'm sure it's burried in my car somewhere... man, I have to clean that thing) so here is one of the other three. I also thought it would be interesting to show how much they've changed by posting their newest album as well. These albums are 30 freakin years apart. Yikes... these guys are still rocking out at my parents age. Yeah and you can also thank Wire for the now stupidly trendy idea of naming albums after numbers of particular things in said bands repitoire. 154 was the number of concerts they played. Object 47 is the 47th item in their discography. It was cool when they did it. Now it's almost as cool as naming a song "untitled".

Sup brohammers. I'm back (kinda) and I have some music for you. It's nothing new or anything but it's stuff that I've been meaning to put up for a month so I figured I would finally get this shit out there. I'm actually REALLY pissed that my link for the other Brainiac album got killed. Sometimes I can understand how an artist or record company doesn't want their albums shared (like when an album just comes out or the CDs are still selling really well). But when it is NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to find an album by Brainiac nowadays and 90 percent of their albums are OUT OF PRINT, it makes me laugh that they are preventing people from enjoying their music. I mean honestly, what do you have to gain from ripping down links to a band whose lead singer is dead... the band makes no new music... and almost all of the albums are out of print and you won't make more. I don't get it. Okay... end rant. The good news is that this album (unlike the last one) is really really hard to find... I had to pay a decent amount of money to get it... so for anyone who likes these guys it's a great find especially because it's considered one of their best albums. You wanna know what's funny? Remember when everyone was scrambling to get the new Death Cab for Cutie album? The band said in some interviews that they were really influenced by Brainiac for thier sound on the new album.. yadda yadda. Then their album came out and I was like "what Brainiac album where these guys listening to?". It just goes to show good musical influence doesn't make for good musical creation. Let that be a lesson to you lame hipster bands.

Friday, November 21, 2008

What's good in the hood? My grandmother has been in the hospital for a while now, and it's draining the life out of me.. so I haven't posted much in the last few weeks. I promise I'll get back to it soon. I just haven't had it in me to upload anything or download anything or whatever. Anywho, music to come I promise.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I know I already posted Faking the Books a while ago, but because I downloaded each song seperately, the bitrate was different for each track... which totally Fs up the sound quality making one song quieter or louder or more distorted than the next. So I wanted to post that again with the other two LPs in consistent high quality 320kbps mp3 format... YIPPPIEEE! This band really gets my juices flowing. Each album has it's own great qualities, which makes it hard for me to pick a favorite. For those more focused on the electronic side of their music, then their first LP Tridecoder will probably be more for you. For those of you who want more intricate songs with verses and choruses, dynamic highs and lows, then their later albums will suit you. If you haven't heard this band yet, you are really missing out... it really has something for everyone. It's poppy enough for a casual listener, experimental enough for the edgy people, lyrically inciteful for poetic individuals... oh and did i mention that the singer Valerie sings like a beautiful call girl ear raping you through the phone? That one's for us guys. I also heard that now that The Notwist are done with their new album Markus will be working with Lali Puna again to make a new album. Freakin aweomse. Can't wait.

When this album came out, all I knew about Nada Surf was that song "Popular" with that funny music video that was always on MTV (back when MTV had music... remember that?) To be honest... it was a funny jab at the misguided teenage importance of being popular, but not much more than that. So when i heard this album for the first time.... I was really blown away by it's depth and maturity. I don't know what happened on this album, but for them they really hit a stride here that completely changed their career. It's unfortunate that they were unable to replicate this albums consistent greatness on any of their following releases. Lucky, their new album, comes the closest I think... but it still does not even touch Let Go. I think this is because when a band tries to reinvent their sound like they did on Let Go, they are forced to experiment with styles and sounds... and sometimes, like this case, you come up with this accidental genius that comes along with a band fondleing in the dark trying to find a new and different sound. It's kind of like when on OK Computer, Radiohead reinvented their sound with experimentation, and the end result was this sort of accidental genius. Now if they kept that same style for Kid A, it wouldn't have been as break-through exciting and refreshing anymore. Well that's how I see this album... it's their OK Computer. Now they just need to take another chance and finally make a Kid A. Either way... it's a great listen.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

What the hey! Since we were talking about them already, I figured why not post a band that got me turned on to Sunset Rubdown in the first place. This is their first LP, produced by Modest Mouse guy Isaac Brock. I got their newest album... and it's good... it just doesn't have the pop that this album does. It seems like they tamed it down a little, which for them... they need something cathcy... hooky... or wierd to grab your attention. I came back to this album recently and was surprized by how much I overlooked this one when it first came out. Now I listen to it more in one month than in the whole first year it came out. Go figure.

For those of you locked in a closet, Spencer Krug, the frontman of Sunset Rubdown, is also one of the singers for Wolf Parade. Personally, I like Wolf Parade better when Krug is singing. I guess that's why I like this band so much.... it's all Krug ALL the time. Now there is some debate over which of Sunset Rubdowns albums is the best. Some like only one, others favor one over the other... I like them both so whatever to you. Krug is definitely bringing back the case for music as an album. (which is usually how I listen to music, unless I'm putting together sad playlists *emo tear*) With Sunset Rubdown you really don't get the full effect of the music if you skip around. Each song bleeds into the next and is sonically and conceptually important to the song before it and after it. In an age where the album is becoming obsolete... being replaced by single song Itunes downloads, sound bytes from soundtracks of tv dramas and playlists of only our favorite tracks... it is reassuring to see someone interesting in the puzzle as a whole instead of just a piece.

Monday, November 3, 2008

One of the downfalls of virtually every other "indie" rock band these days is that they all take themselves WAAAAAAY too seriously. They act like they are trying to save the world with their whiny vocals and lo-fi production. That's all fine and dandy... and it definitely works for some bands, but honestly... the bands that tend to get it right also have a sense of humor about themselves. That's probably why I find Los Campesinos! one of the more refreshing newer bands to come about. While they aren't making any groundbreaking music, they are definitely fun and catchy... and while other bands are denying this aspect, trying to make their music abrasive and exclusive, Los Campesinos! are accepting it and embracing it, not as a limitation but as an end goal. And while this may offend some hoity-toity, holier-than-thou critics... to the rest of us it is just good fun music... plain and simple. And for Christ's sake... these guys released 2... count em... 2 pretty damn good albums in less than one year!!! And for someone like me who has an insatiable appetite for new music... that's a pretty promising aspect. Their first CD I actually own, so the sound quality will be better... the newer one I downloaded, but is still high quality. This is definitely music to have fun to. Dance... laugh... rock out... it's all good with these guys.

SUPER SERIOUS DISCLAIMER

Please note that none of the music here is meant to be kept for longer than 24 hours. The music here is for PREVIEW purposes only. After that it should be either purchased or deleted. None of the links belong to me, however, I can and will remove them from this blog at the request of the artist and/or the record company. As far as I know, the music posted is from artists who don't mind sharing/previewing their music. If this is not the case, please email me or leave a message in the shout box if you wish to contatct me about any issue.